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Hacker-Friendly Wireless Phones w/ GPS?

Posted by Cliff on from the geeky-preferences-sought dept.

Milo_Mindbender asks: "I'm looking to buy a cell phone that is reasonably accessible to hacking. Not illegal stuff, I'd just want to be able to write and load programs on the phone myself. I particularly want access to the GPS in the phone. I'm not picky about what language or environment I have to use as long no hardware mods to the phone are required and I don't have to pay someone an arm and a leg for a developers kit. Can anyone recommend something (just normal sized phones please, not the big PDA hybrids) they've had good luck with?"

3 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Nextel i730 by duffbeer703 · · Score: 4, Informative

    The i730 is a Java & GPS enabled phone that should fit the bill.

    --
    Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
  2. Re:Not Exactly True by grotgrot · · Score: 4, Informative

    He wants to put on programs. You can't (legally) do that with Brew. Also you can't get the GPS information on the VX6000 anyway. Just as proof, go ahead and put a hello world program on your VX6000.

    If you don't go the PDA route (ie Palm or PocketPC based phones) then get one with J2ME. You will have to stay far far away from Verizon and their Brew/Get-It-Now nonsense. This page goes into details about Brew, J2ME and the restrictions of the various carriers.

  3. Nokia 6600 by semaj · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't know whether it's around in the US, but my Nokia 6600 manages all that and more. You can install/uninstall applications, write them with the free SDK from Nokia and test them on their emulator.

    It's got a full-blown Symbian multi-tasking OS, and you might even be able to do what you want with MiniGPS. It cost me the equivalent of about $180, with contract.

    The important thing for me is that MAME runs on it. :-)

    --
    Meep meep